Advertisement
Guide to Denmark
Eurotunnel | P&O Ferries | Irish Ferries | Brittany Ferries | SeaCat | HoverSpeed | DFDS Seaways
Sea France | Red Funnel | CondorFerries | Stena Line
© Copyright 2009 OceanFerries.com All Rights Reserved I Partners I Affiliate
Ferries | Affiliate Program | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | FAQ | Sitemap
Sea France | Red Funnel | CondorFerries | Stena Line
© Copyright 2009 OceanFerries.com All Rights Reserved I Partners I Affiliate
Ferries | Affiliate Program | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | FAQ | Sitemap
Hot Summer Offers
Dover to Denkeese Return I With Vechile £28
Dover to Calais Return I With Vechile £31
Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire Return I Without Vechile £60
Lastest Sailor Updates
Denmark is a country in Scandinavia. The main part of it is Jutland, a peninsula north of Germany, while a number of islands, including two major ones, Zealand and Funen, are the two main islands in Østersøen Sea between Jutland and Sweden.
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs.
Denmark is also the birthplace of one of the world's most popular toys - Lego. There is no other better place in the world where one can buy Lego bricks than at the Legoland theme park in Billund.
Background
These days the Danish Vikings have parked their ships in the garage, and put the horned helmets on the shelves. And along with the other Scandinavian nations forged a society that is seen as a benchmark of civilization, with progressive social policies, a commitment to free speech so entrenched in Danish society, that it put the nation at odds with most of the world during the Mohamed cartoon controversy, and a liberal social-welfare system, that's not only the most equal in the world, according to the Economist, it is also the most competitive. Top it off with rich well preserved cultural heritage, and the Danes legendary sense of design and architecture, and you have one intriguing holiday destination.
Terrain
Denmark is home to the 'lowest-highest' point in Europe; but what that exactly entails is somewhat uncertain. Ejer Baunehøj, in the Lake District region south-west of Aarhus (Århus), seems to be the highest natural point (171m with a large tower built on top to commemorate the fact), although Yding Skovhøj, some 3km away stands 2m higher owing to an ancient burial mound. Either way, the 213m tall Søsterhøj Transmission Tower (1956), with its top 315 m above sea level is technically the highest point in Denmark!
Tipping
In Denmark service charges are automatically included in the bill at restaurants and hotels, and tips for taxi drivers and the like are included in the fare. So tipping is not expected, nor required, but is a matter of choice. Needless to say, tipping for outstanding service is obviously greatly appreciated.
Talk
Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages, and within that family, part of the North Germanic, East Norse group. It is, in theory, very similar to Norwegian Bokmål and also to Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form. Its sound, however, is more influenced by the guttural German language, though, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian. It is also more distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese, though spoken Danish is not mutually intelligible with these languages.
English is widely spoken in Denmark, the only partial exception is children or people older than 65. Danish school children start their English lessons in third grade, and regular English lessons continue until students finish high school, furthermore many Danish university courses are fully or partially taught in English. In this regard it is worth noting that Denmark is probably one of very few countries in the world, where you don't get extra points for trying to speak the language, rather the opposite, and Danes in general have very little patience with non-fluent speakers. So except for a few words like Tak (Thank you) or Undskyld mig (Excuse me), English-speakers are much better off just speaking English than fighting their way through a phrasebook. If you do try, and the person you are talking to immediately switches to English, don't feel bad, it is not meant to condescend or belittle. Should you perceive it so, you can take minor comfort when the conversation stops every once in a while as the person you're talking to skims their mental dictionary, looking for an English equivalent of a Danish word. You might also encounter some wacky English grammar once in a while among the very young or the slightly older generation. Though this generally shouldn't a problem, just keep in mind that enunciating just a tiny bit when speaking will go a long way in abating such situations.
Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract many tourists from Germany, i.e. mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands (e.g. Langeland and Ærø), and also in Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig). Elsewhere in the country, many people vehemently prefer to avoid speaking it, even when they do have some command of the language, and you'll have a hard time convincing anyone (outside the tourist industry) otherwise - this has nothing to do with history, but is merely a result of the high fluency in English, making the locals less inclined to struggle through a language they are not entirely comfortable with - in a pinch or emergency though, people will probably step up, and do their best to help. French is also spoken to some degree, as all Danish students have received at least 3 years of lessons in either German or French, but given the Danes limited contact with the French language, fluency tends to be lagging.
Bring your own unlocked GSM phone to make calls. Prepaid SIM cards are available at most shops and international calling can be reasonably priced. The prepaid credit generally only work in Denmark, but can be purchased in small amounts to avoid waste when you leave.
Buy
The national currency is the Danish krone (DKK, plural "kroner"). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro. The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 2.25%. In the 12 months from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006 the average exchange rate was 1 EUR = 7.46 DKK.
Automatic teller machines are widely available even in small towns. Credit cards are also widely accepted but not universally. Beware that many retailers will add a 2%-3% transaction charge (often without warning) if you pay with a credit card.
You should note that almost everything in Denmark is expensive. All consumer sales include a 25% sales tax but displayed prices are legally required to include this, so they are always exact. If you are from outside the EU/Scandinavia you can have some of your sales tax refunded when leaving the country.
Eat
Apart from the kebab shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost. Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried sanddab, and other assorted seafood items. Hearty meats are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller (pork only or pork and veal meat balls topped by a brown sauce) and "stegt flæsk og persillesovs" (thick pork bacon slices topped by a parsley cream sauce). Many meals are also accompanied by a beer, and shots of aquavit or schnaps, though these are mainly enjoyed when guests are over. Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa. For dessert, try either "ris à l'amande" (rice pudding with almonds and cherries) or æbleskiver (ball-shaped cakes similar in texture to American pancakes, served with strawberry jam), both normally only available in December. For candy try a bag of "Superpiratos" (hot licorice candy).
The traditional Danish lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches usually on rye bread - fish are served on white bread, and many restaurants give you a choice of bread. Smørrebrød served on special occasions, in lunch restaurants, or bought in lunch takeaway stores, are piled higher than the daily fare.
Festivals
Denmark is teeming with music festivals in the summer months, to a point where listing each and everyone of them would be ridiculous, some of the most important ones are:
* Roskilde Festival (June/July) - one of the big four rock festivals in Europe, run by non-profit organisation. 80.000 tickets sold and more than 110.000 participants in Roskilde.
* Copenhagen Jazz Festival - (July) - One of the worlds top Jazz Festivals, with small and big concert all over the Copenhagen, attracts over 20.000 spectators.
* Langelands Festival (July/August) - A family oriented festival on the island of Langeland, 15.000 participants.
* Skanderborg Festival (August) - the 2nd largest rock festival with 45.000 participants, in a unique location inside a forest by the lake shore near Skanderborg.
* Tønder Festival(August) - A large folk and country music festival held in Tønder in Southern Jutland.
* Århus Festuge (August/September) - 10 days of music and cultural events in the city of Århus, with a different theme each year.
* Generally: Denmark is very safe. No risk of natural disaster or animal attack. Crime and traffic are only minor risks.
* In the traffic: Danes generally drive by the rules (except for the bicycles) but may not be very helpful to other drivers in ceding right of way, etc. Watch out for the bicycles in the cities, especially when turning across bicycle lanes; they have right of way. On highways, make sure that you only pass on the left, and be aware that Danes like to drive fast. Also, as a special note to North American drivers, it is illegal in Denmark (as in rest of Europe) to turn right on a red light.
* On foot in cities: As mentioned above, Danes drive by the rules, and they have every expectation that pedestrians do the same. Therefore, it is important to obey Walk/Don't Walk signals and avoid jaywalking in cities, simply because cars will not slow down since you're not supposed to be there. Also, take good notice of the dedicated bike lanes when crossing any street to avoid dangerous situations as bikers tend to ride fast and have right of way on these lanes.
* On the beach: Don't bathe alone. Don't get too far away from land. Don't jump head first in shallow water. Swim along the coast rather than away from it. In some areas undertow is a danger, but will mostly be signed at the beach. On many beaches, flags inform of water quality. A blue flag means excellent water quality, green flag means good water quality, red flag means that bathing is not advised. A sign with the text "Badning forbudt" means that bathing is forbidden. Obey these signs, as it often means that the water is polluted with poisonous algae, bacteria, or chemicals, or that there is a dangerous undertow.
* In the city: A few districts in major cities are probably best avoided at night by the unwary, or by lone women - but reverse of the trends in North America, it is often the ghettos in the suburbs that are unsafe, rather than the downtown areas.
In an emergency dial 112 (medical help/fire brigade/police). This is toll free, and will work even from cell phones even without a SIM card. For the police in not-emergencies call 114.
We hope this little extra info on Denmark will help you on your visit!
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs.
Denmark is also the birthplace of one of the world's most popular toys - Lego. There is no other better place in the world where one can buy Lego bricks than at the Legoland theme park in Billund.
Background
These days the Danish Vikings have parked their ships in the garage, and put the horned helmets on the shelves. And along with the other Scandinavian nations forged a society that is seen as a benchmark of civilization, with progressive social policies, a commitment to free speech so entrenched in Danish society, that it put the nation at odds with most of the world during the Mohamed cartoon controversy, and a liberal social-welfare system, that's not only the most equal in the world, according to the Economist, it is also the most competitive. Top it off with rich well preserved cultural heritage, and the Danes legendary sense of design and architecture, and you have one intriguing holiday destination.
Terrain
Denmark is home to the 'lowest-highest' point in Europe; but what that exactly entails is somewhat uncertain. Ejer Baunehøj, in the Lake District region south-west of Aarhus (Århus), seems to be the highest natural point (171m with a large tower built on top to commemorate the fact), although Yding Skovhøj, some 3km away stands 2m higher owing to an ancient burial mound. Either way, the 213m tall Søsterhøj Transmission Tower (1956), with its top 315 m above sea level is technically the highest point in Denmark!
Tipping
In Denmark service charges are automatically included in the bill at restaurants and hotels, and tips for taxi drivers and the like are included in the fare. So tipping is not expected, nor required, but is a matter of choice. Needless to say, tipping for outstanding service is obviously greatly appreciated.
Talk
Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages, and within that family, part of the North Germanic, East Norse group. It is, in theory, very similar to Norwegian Bokmål and also to Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form. Its sound, however, is more influenced by the guttural German language, though, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian. It is also more distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese, though spoken Danish is not mutually intelligible with these languages.
English is widely spoken in Denmark, the only partial exception is children or people older than 65. Danish school children start their English lessons in third grade, and regular English lessons continue until students finish high school, furthermore many Danish university courses are fully or partially taught in English. In this regard it is worth noting that Denmark is probably one of very few countries in the world, where you don't get extra points for trying to speak the language, rather the opposite, and Danes in general have very little patience with non-fluent speakers. So except for a few words like Tak (Thank you) or Undskyld mig (Excuse me), English-speakers are much better off just speaking English than fighting their way through a phrasebook. If you do try, and the person you are talking to immediately switches to English, don't feel bad, it is not meant to condescend or belittle. Should you perceive it so, you can take minor comfort when the conversation stops every once in a while as the person you're talking to skims their mental dictionary, looking for an English equivalent of a Danish word. You might also encounter some wacky English grammar once in a while among the very young or the slightly older generation. Though this generally shouldn't a problem, just keep in mind that enunciating just a tiny bit when speaking will go a long way in abating such situations.
Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract many tourists from Germany, i.e. mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands (e.g. Langeland and Ærø), and also in Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig). Elsewhere in the country, many people vehemently prefer to avoid speaking it, even when they do have some command of the language, and you'll have a hard time convincing anyone (outside the tourist industry) otherwise - this has nothing to do with history, but is merely a result of the high fluency in English, making the locals less inclined to struggle through a language they are not entirely comfortable with - in a pinch or emergency though, people will probably step up, and do their best to help. French is also spoken to some degree, as all Danish students have received at least 3 years of lessons in either German or French, but given the Danes limited contact with the French language, fluency tends to be lagging.
Bring your own unlocked GSM phone to make calls. Prepaid SIM cards are available at most shops and international calling can be reasonably priced. The prepaid credit generally only work in Denmark, but can be purchased in small amounts to avoid waste when you leave.
Buy
The national currency is the Danish krone (DKK, plural "kroner"). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro. The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 2.25%. In the 12 months from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006 the average exchange rate was 1 EUR = 7.46 DKK.
Automatic teller machines are widely available even in small towns. Credit cards are also widely accepted but not universally. Beware that many retailers will add a 2%-3% transaction charge (often without warning) if you pay with a credit card.
You should note that almost everything in Denmark is expensive. All consumer sales include a 25% sales tax but displayed prices are legally required to include this, so they are always exact. If you are from outside the EU/Scandinavia you can have some of your sales tax refunded when leaving the country.
Eat
Apart from the kebab shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost. Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried sanddab, and other assorted seafood items. Hearty meats are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller (pork only or pork and veal meat balls topped by a brown sauce) and "stegt flæsk og persillesovs" (thick pork bacon slices topped by a parsley cream sauce). Many meals are also accompanied by a beer, and shots of aquavit or schnaps, though these are mainly enjoyed when guests are over. Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa. For dessert, try either "ris à l'amande" (rice pudding with almonds and cherries) or æbleskiver (ball-shaped cakes similar in texture to American pancakes, served with strawberry jam), both normally only available in December. For candy try a bag of "Superpiratos" (hot licorice candy).
The traditional Danish lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches usually on rye bread - fish are served on white bread, and many restaurants give you a choice of bread. Smørrebrød served on special occasions, in lunch restaurants, or bought in lunch takeaway stores, are piled higher than the daily fare.
Festivals
Denmark is teeming with music festivals in the summer months, to a point where listing each and everyone of them would be ridiculous, some of the most important ones are:
* Roskilde Festival (June/July) - one of the big four rock festivals in Europe, run by non-profit organisation. 80.000 tickets sold and more than 110.000 participants in Roskilde.
* Copenhagen Jazz Festival - (July) - One of the worlds top Jazz Festivals, with small and big concert all over the Copenhagen, attracts over 20.000 spectators.
* Langelands Festival (July/August) - A family oriented festival on the island of Langeland, 15.000 participants.
* Skanderborg Festival (August) - the 2nd largest rock festival with 45.000 participants, in a unique location inside a forest by the lake shore near Skanderborg.
* Tønder Festival(August) - A large folk and country music festival held in Tønder in Southern Jutland.
* Århus Festuge (August/September) - 10 days of music and cultural events in the city of Århus, with a different theme each year.
* Generally: Denmark is very safe. No risk of natural disaster or animal attack. Crime and traffic are only minor risks.
* In the traffic: Danes generally drive by the rules (except for the bicycles) but may not be very helpful to other drivers in ceding right of way, etc. Watch out for the bicycles in the cities, especially when turning across bicycle lanes; they have right of way. On highways, make sure that you only pass on the left, and be aware that Danes like to drive fast. Also, as a special note to North American drivers, it is illegal in Denmark (as in rest of Europe) to turn right on a red light.
* On foot in cities: As mentioned above, Danes drive by the rules, and they have every expectation that pedestrians do the same. Therefore, it is important to obey Walk/Don't Walk signals and avoid jaywalking in cities, simply because cars will not slow down since you're not supposed to be there. Also, take good notice of the dedicated bike lanes when crossing any street to avoid dangerous situations as bikers tend to ride fast and have right of way on these lanes.
* On the beach: Don't bathe alone. Don't get too far away from land. Don't jump head first in shallow water. Swim along the coast rather than away from it. In some areas undertow is a danger, but will mostly be signed at the beach. On many beaches, flags inform of water quality. A blue flag means excellent water quality, green flag means good water quality, red flag means that bathing is not advised. A sign with the text "Badning forbudt" means that bathing is forbidden. Obey these signs, as it often means that the water is polluted with poisonous algae, bacteria, or chemicals, or that there is a dangerous undertow.
* In the city: A few districts in major cities are probably best avoided at night by the unwary, or by lone women - but reverse of the trends in North America, it is often the ghettos in the suburbs that are unsafe, rather than the downtown areas.
In an emergency dial 112 (medical help/fire brigade/police). This is toll free, and will work even from cell phones even without a SIM card. For the police in not-emergencies call 114.
We hope this little extra info on Denmark will help you on your visit!